DIY Life

There are a lot of great reasons to pick up a six pack of some cold, icy beverage in the summertime -- grilling, boating and lounging at the beach, for instance. But before you toss out those six pack rings or that cardboard six pack bottle holder after your brew is gone, consider the idea that you could put them to work for you instead.

Six pack rings, especially, are dangerous to marine wildlife. Birds and fish can get tangled in the rings, leaving them unable to eat or swim. Cutting the rings before disposing of them is one way to make them safer, and cardboard six packs can always be recycled. But as DIYers know, reusing is more frugal and more fun!

Here are six great ways to reuse a six pack holder:

You're generally an eco-friendly sort. You try not to use that dryer much, and when you do, you cut your dryer sheets in half to make them go further.

It still rankles a bit that you then throw them right out, though, doesn't it? You could always make your own, re-usable dryer sheets, of course: they're far less expensive, less loaded with chemicals,and less wasteful.

There truly is something for everyone in this world. I would never have thought to combine kitchen storage with geeky computer stuff, but this idea is well worth crossing the two. After thinking it over, it makes perfect sense to store your server in your extra bread bin.

The tutorial for this project is quite clever -- and clear enough for even the most challenged of DIYers. A bread bin is just about the perfect size for a server, and the material is easily cut to fit cords and the like. Once the server is safely tucked in its new home it can live there relatively dust free and out of harm's way.

My husband is a self-proclaimed computer geek. We don't just have a home computer; we have a downstairs server through which all of our incoming and outgoing email is processed. We have an upstairs computer which is the hub we can connect to remotely.

Add two laptops, a wireless router, a docking station, and infinitely many things that I cannot begin to tell you what they are used for, and you have our state-of-the-art wired household.

Did I say wired? You betcha. With technology comes wires, cables, and a mis-mash of mess -- everywhere! -- and that's where Creatrope's Card Cable Organizer comes in.

As I have said many times before; almost everything has more than one use, and I believe it is our duty as inhabitants of this planet to recycle as many items as possible, sometimes reusing the same item over and over again.

Plastic soda and water bottles are items that can be reused. Join me after the break, as I give you a list of things that you can reuse plastic bottles for, which I found over at Green Home.

Pretty much everything on this planet has more than one use. Think of all the things you use on a daily basis, and I'll bet you could use those items for something else. The same goes for office supplies.

Lifehacker has a top 10 list of office supply hacks, pretty much involving binder clips. From closing a chip bag, to holding files together, to keeping them from falling over, binder clips can be used for more than keeping your important paper in one place. They can turn a stack of index cards into a Hipster PDA; they can even catch loose cables.

The list goes on to say that you can remove permanent marker from a dry erase board, with, yes, you guessed it, a dry-erase marker. You can also get of all your computer equipment off of your desk by using a letter tray to organize it. For even more great ideas, be sure to check out the Lifehacker comments.

This isn't the first time we've discussed creative uses for office supplies at DIY Life. In the past, Francesca told us how to build a MacBook stand using binder clips, and Diane created a card wreath using paper clips. There are many other possibilities... comment to tell us your favorite hack!

When you read this list of things you can do with citrus fruits (besides eat them!), you'll begin to wonder why you ever thought you needed all those cleaning products that clutter your home. Stock up on a few lemons and oranges, tuck a gallon of lemon juice in the back of your fridge, and your home with sparkle with citrus-scented shine!

Some of the ideas are not new to us. Seems everyone knows that garbage disposals can be freshened up by tossing some lemon (or orange) peels down there; cleaning copper pots, getting streak-free windows, and taking rust stains out of fabric with lemons is not news, either. Furniture polish, air freshener, all-purpose spray cleanser: they can all be made from the versatile lemon.

There are even more fascinating ideas in the list. Did you know that you can get rid of anthills by pouring a pureed mix of orange peel and water down the hole? Or that you can discourage the neighborhood cats from using your lawn as their litter tray with a mix of orange peels and coffee grounds?

Here's one that's going to get tried out in my household: rub lemon juice on exposed skin to keep away mosquitoes and gnats. I may smell like my all-purpose cleanser, but if it can keep the bugs away, it's worth a try!

After you learn how to clean out the inside of a burned out light bulb, you'll be ready to embark on a number of unusual projects. For instance, you can make an oil lamp. Never would have thought of this one, but all you need is the light bulb, a shoe lace, a bottle cap, two magnets, and a washer. Of course you'll need the oil, some sand, and a few tools to put it all together, but it is a simple project that seems like it would be fun. There is even another way to make it.

If that project isn't inspiring you to save your burned out light bulbs, maybe you'd like to make an aquarium for your fighting fish or a laser nightlight.

Check in with HackNMod for all of the projects, but feel good in knowing that you'll give a whole new meaning to 'reuse' if you create one of these old light bulb projects.